Question
Hay
Hello, my two adult guinea pigs only eat the leafy parts of their timothy hay, they are the bits that are fluffy i will upload a picture. Is this normal? My other guinea pig eats all the stems and not the fluffy parts is that normal as well? should i switch to a different hay or stick with timothy i am going to be purchasing Meadow hay in about a week or so but i don't know if its normal for them to only eat it and not the actual hay thank you
AnswerTimothy hay is a seasonal grass hay. The first cutting is okay, the second is the premium cut and the third and fourth cuttings are mostly stems and quite frankly, way too expensive for the quality. The price doesn't go down as the qualitiy does. So it makes Timothy the most expensive hay there is. The best parts are the leafy parts, not the stems. The stems basically just hold up the leafy part of the hay. The 'fluffy parts' sound like the flowering part that goes to seed and is usually not eaten by the pigs, although some will try it.
Most pigs prefer the leafy green pieces. Some will eat the stems and most will not. I prefer Bermuda hay which is also a grass hay. Unlike Timothy it's quality is the same all year round as is the price. It's also the cheapest hay. Alfalfa is another legume hay that is very stemmy. I found that Alfalfa often caused eye injuries from the stiff stems, especially to the babies. for that reason I stopped using it. The Bermuda is soft like grass so the pigs will eat all of it, although some of mine will just bed in it, some make tunnels and hidey holes, while others will eat every little piece.
The problem with Bermuda is not being able to buy it except by the bale. For those of us with large caviaries it's not a problem. I buy six bales at a time and that lasts me about four months. If you have a place to store a bale it would be extremely financially beneficial. I pay about $8 for a 40 pound bale. the prices are different in different areas.It's fine to store outside as long as it's on a pallet or something to keep it off the ground and covered to keep it from getting wet. There are also large bags that will hold a big bale, making it easier to store if you need to keep it in the garage.
Timothy hay is more than $20 a bale here where I live. That's expensive in my book. If you have a feed store anywhere near you they will sometimes just give you a chunk or two from a broken bale.
To make an already too long story shorter, unless you're buying Timothy in the bags at the pet store then yes, change to a different hay. If you're able to get Bermuda you will be happier with that and so will the pigs. Unfortunately not everyone is in a position to get an entire bale of hay. But don't pay for a bunch of stems that the pigs don't like.
I should have added this earlier, but Meadow aka Orchard Hay is also a good hay. It's a combination of grasses and the pigs generally thrive on it.
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